Pep Talk
by acercrea
Summary: Harry is about to go into the final battle and is slightly stressed out. Someone finds him and helps him get ready to face what is about to happen to all them.


**Pep Talk**

Disclaimer: I don't own, wish I did, but I don't. Please don't sue me.

_What is happening to me? I can't lose it now. They all need me to be the strong leader. And I can't be that if I am freaking out. What am I going to do? I need to get into the proper head space. I need to calm down. How can I expect them to go into battle for me when I am having second thoughts? Granted we don't have a choice, Voldemort is coming to the castle, and we are going to have to stop him, or he is going to massacre us. I wish I knew what--_

Ginny interrupted Harry's thoughts, "Harry? Oh, there you are. I have been looking for you, where have you been, we are all waiting for you."

Harry sighed. "I needed a moment to myself to think, that's all. I just feel a bit overwhelmed, that's all." He paused. "Ginny, can I ask you a question?"

"Of course, Harry, what's on your mind?"

"What if we--I mean, what if I can't do this?" he asked, in a trembling voice not unlike a small, scared child.

She crossed the boy's dormitory and say next to him on his bed. "Is that what you're worried about? Harry, look at me," she said, taking his hands. "You are ready for this. We all are. It is what you were born to do. It is your destiny to defeat him, here, today. You are a fantastic leader. Even when you are scared out of your mind, you don't let it show, and that gives me courage. You think quickly under pressure, you know how to make people follow you, and everyone on your side knows you care about them all in your own weird way. They all know that if there was a way to do this without them having to fight, you would do it in a heartbeat.

"These last two years have been hard, but you are still Harry Potter--the boy who was dealt a pretty tough card and came out on top. You grew up without parents, faced Voldemort just about every year since first, and lost your godfather--the closest thing you had to a parent--when you were fifteen. Granted, you do have a tenancy to act like a baby when things don't go right"--she gave him a placating look—"but you have a big heart everybody here knows it. We all need you out there Harry. And if it helps, I know you can do it."

He looked back up at her slowly, his confidence growing a little. "You do?" he asked.

"It's more than just believing in you," she smiled softly at him. "Knowing you are there gives me the courage to be my best, just to match up to what you have already done. There is no loss for you here in the eyes of those people waiting for you in the Great Hall. You have already done six times what better wizards have not been able to do once. If you lose today, it is because we did not do our part. If you win, it is your victory. And even if you die, you are still the boy who bested the most powerful dark wizard more than his fair share of times and died honorably defending his world. There is no shame in that."

Harry sighed again and got up off the bed. "But you don't understand, Ginny. All of those options are scary to me. If we lose, all of those people will be hunted down and killed systematically. If I die, I will be remembered for being brave when I just winged it most of the time. And if I win, I get credit for all that everyone else has done. There are many wizards and witches better and braver and more clever than I'll ever be. I don't know if I want that… any of it…" Harry trailed off dejectedly.

Ginny got up and strode over to Harry, who had his back to her. Placing a hand gently on his shoulder, she said, "Oh Harry, I know you never asked for it, but you can do this. All of it, no matter what. I have faith in you. You are stronger and braver than just about anyone you know. You can do anything you want. We will all follow you no matter where you go. No matter what you say when you go out there, we will still be behind you. We are your friends, your family now. You are like my brother, and I'm sure if my mother could, she would adopt you in a heartbeat. So just know, no matter what? I will still love you in the end."

Harry finally turned and looked into her eyes with realization that what he had been trying to deny for months was true. He somehow had fallen in love with Ginny Weasley.

"You are an amazing friend, Gin," he said, reaching up to touch her cheek.

He then started to lean in, changing the course and direction of their relationship forever. And in that moment he realized that he didn't care. He was in love with Ginny Weasley, and he didn't care who knew, just so long as she did. And when his lips touched hers, he knew that all of what she had told him was true. He could do this. As long as she believed in him, he could do anything. He could do this.

"Thank you, Gin," he said, when they pulled apart.

"For what?" she asked, a smile playing on her lips.

"For giving me the strength to do what I now have to do," he said. "You made me see that no matter what happens today, I have one person who loves me. Who I love back."

"You love me?" Ginny asked, her eyes wide.

"Yeah, Gin, I do. I have for a while. I have been trying for a long time to deny it, but I just realized that I don't want to deny it. You have become an amazing woman, Gin. Every day I'm in awe of you more and more. And now you know. And I have to go give a pep talk of my own to those people down there. But I will be here for you at the end of this. I love you," Harry promised.

"Oh, I love you, too," she said smiling. "Just one question. How on earth do we tell Ron?"

Harry laughed. "We'll deal with that when we get there. Right now, we have to go." He grasped her hand and led her toward the door.

Ginny hesitated. "Harry, are we going to die?"

"I don't know, Gin. I honestly don't know. But I do know that we are finally good, and I will do anything in my power to keep you safe. You are not going to die. I promise. Now we better go. We have kids waiting to hear what the boy who lived has to say," Harry joked.

"I think I need to deflate that ego of yours," Ginny teased.

"I think I have something to say about that," Harry replied. Before she could respond, he picked her up, slung her over his shoulder, and ran down the corridor toward the Great Hall, knowing that when he got there, it would all be business.

A/N: So, there it is. Tell me what you think by pushing the button at the bottom of the page. Even if it is to tell me I have no future as a fan fic writer, better to find out early, right? If the reviews are positive enough, I may write a sequel. P.S.: Thanks to Amber, my checkmated beta. It would be no where near as good without her.


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